Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: April 1981 Volume 19 Number 2, Pages 65–66

Notes and Comments

• Green Tree Hotel Razed
• Valley Forge Research Report Completed
• Pennsylvania Historians to Meet in West Chester

Page 65

Green Tree Hotel Razed

Another old landmark in Chester County, the Green Tree Hotel in Willistown Township, came down last month, making way for progress (or, as some say, the suburban sprawl) just as its predecessor did back in 1877.

This was not the original Green Tree of colonial fame, described by Julius Sasche, which was torn down when the Pennsylvania Railroad straightened its roadbed in 1877-78. When the new location of the track took it right through the inn, a new hotel was built across the turnpike, in the old orchard. This new hotel became known at various times as "The Green Tree", "The Duff", and "The Duffryn Mawr".

The hotel had all the ingredients needed for a first class hoatelry. It was close to the mainline of the Pennsylvania Railroad, sitting along the Lancaster Turnpike, on high eleveation, and surrounded by beautiful horse country.

When the name was changed to "The Duffryn Mawr" it became a fashionable resort hotel. It had a long porch with plenty of rocking chairs, a tennis court, a fine stable of horses for hire, and a well stocked larder. There was a long popular bar at the east end of the building, open to the public, where gentlemen guests could mingle with the traveler or yokel, and argue the politics of the day.

Page 66

The long hitching post in front of the door was always filled with horses, any day in the week.

The hotel flourished until prohibition came in 1920. A few years later the innkeeper closed it down; he could not maintain his style after liquor went out and the automobile came in.

Since then, it was opened off and on many times, and went back to its old name. After prohibition was repealed in 1933 it opened as a bar and night club for a few years. A riding stable opened in the barn for a while, and weekly sales also drew crowds to the barn for a short time. The last owners operated it as an apartment house, but it had outlived its usefulness. (Grace Winthrop)

Valley Forge Research Report Completed

A three-volume study, described as "one of the most intensive research projects ever undertaken by the National Park Service", has recently been completely and distributed on a very limited basis.

The study deals with the events that occurred at Valley Forge during the 1777-1778 winter encampment, and was developed by a team of five historians under the direction of Jacqueline Thibaut. The team reviewed over 10,000 documents located in more than 700 historical societies or other archives repositories. The first volume is con­cerned with the physical appearance of the area at the time of the encampment; the second is an historical narrative of events at the encampment; and the third is a review of the army's supply and logistical problems during that winter.

Copies of the report are available for study at the park, at the Historical Society in Chester and Montgomery counties, at the Valley Forge Historical Society, and at the libraries in Norristown and King of Prussia.

Pennsylvania Historians to Meet in West Chester

The 50th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Historical Association, cosponsored by West Chester State College and the Chester County Hi­storical Society, will be held in West Chester on October 16-17 this year. Robert J. Plowman, of the Federal Archives and Records Center in Philadelphia, is head of the committee developing the program.

A special invitation to attend the sessions has been extended to the Tredyffrin Easttown History Club by Dr. Robert E, Carlson, chairman of the local arrangements committee.